the player on offense dribbling the ball steps over the midcourt line due to close defense and being close to midcourt. Ball stays on the floor in frontcourt. Does the dribbler's foot crossing the midcourt line warrant a backcourt violation (okay, I am still learning here)?

Greg

I believe you're saying that A1 was dribbling the ball in the FC and stepped back over the division line.

If so, yes, that's a BC violation every time.

I thought so, but...
 

...I thought I read here in one of the threads that if the ball stays in frontcourt, but the simple action of the dribbler's foot crossing the midcourt line into the backcourt isn't enough to warrant a BC violation, and that confused me...

When dribbling the ball, frontcourt status does not occur until the ball and both feet of the dribbler are in the frontcourt. Once that happens, if the dribbler touches any part of this body in the backcourt...then it is an over-and-back violation.

Greg, you've got that backwards. If the dribbler is in the backcourt and then puts one foot in the frontcourt, that is not enough to give the ball frontcourt status. In that case, when the ball is being dribbled, both of the dribbler's feet and the ball must touch the frontcourt to establish frontcourt status.

However, once frontcourt status has been achieved (as is the case in your example), any one of the 3 points in the backcourt results in a violation while the ballhandler has control.

Hope that helps a little.

Chuck

Stepping on the division line is considered touching backcourt. It is one of the mysteries of life that the division line can be in both team's backcourts.

Mystery?
 

If this is a mystery of life, you have too much to worry about or too much time on your hands.http://www.stopstart.freeserve.co.uk/smilie/mcqueen.gif

Peace